DIRECTED by : Yann L’HÉNORET

In Brazil, it’s often best to count on one’s self than on public institutions. So to better their everyday lives, some Brazilians have learned to take advantage of extravagant, innovative and sometimes even outrageous ideas. From the “Complexo do Mare” a shantytown in Rio de Janeiro where a woman created a learning method to aid children who are victims of violence and trauma, to Petropolis where a man invented a “bio-digester” which saves energy and lowers electricity bills, or a trip to Morro do Urubu where a housewife bakes and sells erotically-shaped chocolates to tackle the subject of STD prevention, Céline Hue discovers a country full of surprises and a contagious enthusiasm.

DIRECTED by : Eric PERRUCHON

Even today, South Africa continues its transformation and attempts to build a different future for itself. In Johannesburg, Theresa Oakley-Smith organizes seminars on inter-cultural dialogue for businesses. In Soweto, a new breed of fashion designers bent on changing mentalities and upending the traditional ways their neighbors in the township dress. Trevor Field has set up a merry-go-round system, activated by schoolchildren, which pumps water from deep underground. Céline Hue unveils a society where for the moment nothing is really settled.

DIRECTED by : Jean-Luc GUIDOIN

The United States fascinates as much as it disturbs but whatever image we have of it, the U.S. remains a laboratory, a kind of magnifying glass where the rest of the world loves to catch a glimpse of what the future might hold. If in Europe there’s talk of the phenomena of gangs, of failures in the unemployment system or of social inequalities, Americans for their part have long battled with street gangs, an absence of Social Security and racial discrimination. This is why Céline Hue will meet those who have chosen to take on these social problems and seek alternatives to a broken system.

DIRECTED by: Jean-Marc SANCHEZ

Between Orient and Occident, Turkey is at the crossroads of two continents. An ancestral land but a modern nation, it is torn between its traditions and proponents who desire change. Céline Hue will thus meet Turks willing to do anything to make their dreams a reality.

In Bayburt, NakiMelekogul is the king of intelligent recycling. That’s why he insulated his house with 350 discarded refrigerator doors. The result: a 40% energy savings in a town where winter temperatures can reach 30° below!

In Altuntas, located in central Anatolia, the countryside is alive with the sound TakTaks, a kind of wacky tractor-trailer powered by… a water pump. A timeless, 100% custom-made vehicle fabricated to this day by descendants of its brilliant inventor, Ismail Atekin.

On the coast of the Aegean sea, a meeting with an unusual biker: handsome in his leather gearwith a shiny motorcycle, at 24-years-old Tarik Balki wants to live his faith in a modern way. Something that’s not always simple to do because Tarik is… an imam in a country where religion and tradition often go hand in hand.

In Istanbul, no one likes dogs. Except SemraTecimen. Moved by the plight of the 12,000 stray dogs, two times a week she loads her van with meat and breads to make the rounds with her neighbors. She is poorly regarded and she has been threatened but her determination is intact given the distress of her protégés.

A journey sprinkled with encounters that are humorous, moving, and far off the beaten path.

DIRECTED by: Jean-Marc SANCHEZ

Visiting the archipelago’s islands,Céline Hue sets out to discover a paradise where women try to change outdated ways of thinking, follow their convictions and their dreams.

Like Monique Lorfanfant who fights to save a mangrove that’s become a garbage dump as the island has developed. To do this, she mobilized disadvantaged young people in her region and thus doubled the benefits: protecting the ecosystem and creating positive social initiatives.

In Kouawa, Laureen drives peacefully across the moon-like landscapes. She was chosen, because like many women, she is more careful behind the wheel than a man. One tiny detail, the wheel she’s behind hauls a 200-ton monster. Laureen is the driver of an enormous dump truck… in a nickel mine.

Another emblematic woman: Evelyne Utchao. About 20 years ago, her husband died and left her to run a small vanilla plantation. Today, the company has more than 4000 seedlings “The Vanilla Lady” has succeeded in breaking down prejudices. She proved that a Kanak woman can make it on her own!